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and therefore might write his own wars in the book of wars, those being the
principal wars of God. These were publick books, and therefore not written
without the authority of _Moses_ and _Joshua_. And _Samuel_ had leisure in
the reign of _Saul_, to put them into the form of the books of _Moses_ and
_Joshua_ now extant, inserting into the book of _Genesis_, the race of the
Kings of _Edom_, until there reigned a King in _Israel_.
The book of the _Judges_ is a continued history of the _Judges_ down to the
death of _Sampson_, and therefore was compiled after his death, out of the
Acts of the _Judges_. Several things in this book are said to be done _when
there was no King in _Israel__, _Judg._ xvii. 6. xviii. 1. xix. 1. xxi. 25.
and therefore this book was written after the beginning of the reign of
_Saul_. When it was written, the _Jebusites_ dwelt in _Jerusalem_, _Jud._
i. 21 and therefore it was written before the eighth year of _David_, 2
_Sam._ v. 8. and 1 _Chron._ xi. 6. The books of _Moses_, _Joshua_, and
_Judges_, contain one continued history, down from the Creation to the
death of _Sampson_. Where the _Pentateuch_ ends, the book of _Joshua_
begins; and where the book of _Joshua_ ends, the book of _Judges_ begins.
Therefore all these books have been composed out of the writings of
_Moses_, _Joshua_, and other records, by one and the same hand, after the
beginning of the reign of _Saul_, and before the eighth year of _David_.
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